BASF to stop producing lead chromate pigments by 2014

02.22.12

BASF is going to stop producing lead chromate pigments by the end of 2014 at the latest and concentrate worldwide on the production and marketing of alternative products the company said. These are offered by the company for the yellow as well as the red color range. They include pigments sold under the brand names of Sicopal, Sicotan, Paliotan, T-Shade, Paliotol, Paliogen, Cromophtal®, Irgalite, Cinquasia and Irgazin®.

"We have for years been in the possession of a large portfolio of organic and inorganic pigments that represent excellent alternatives to lead chromate pigments," said Stefan Sütterlin, head of the business management pigments of BASF in Europe.

As, however, a 100 percent substitution for lead-containing pigments does not exist, customers above all from the coatings industry have so far resisted change said the company.

"We are going to assist our customers, if they want us to, with the change-over," said Joachim Straβner, head of marketing for pigments for industrial and decorative coatings of BASF in Europe. "This means that we will help them plan their exit strategy, agree on the quantities that are to be phased out and the technical changeover."

BASF is one of the largest pigment producers worldwide. One of the oldest product groups is lead chromates which, due to their properties such as weather fastness and color strength, have been in great demand. Recently, the process for approval prescribed under the European chemicals regulation REACH concerning these substances has been started. Hence, from May 2015, it will no longer be permitted to put into circulation lead chromate pigments without approval by the authorities.

BASF produces lead chromate pigments exclusively on its site in Besigheim, Germany. This is where the future production of alternative products will gradually be developed and expanded.

BASF has announced that with immediate effect, it is lifting the force majeure status that was declared on October 31, 2016 for dispersions, dispersion powders and hot melts on acrylic monomer basis. The products supplied from the Ludwigshafen and Ta…

Cathay Industries USA’s CEO Kevin Miles announced the formation of a dedicated team of industry veterans to expand Cathay’s promotion and commercial growth in the coatings, plastics and specialties marketplace. The new team has a combined…

PPG's automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) color styling team in China created two distinctive colors of waterborne coatings for BYD that the Chinese automaker featured on vehicles unveiled during Auto Shanghai 2017 – its Dynast…

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is expanding the capacity of its global production network to safeguard customer supply in the long term. In Krefeld-Uerdingen, site of the world’s largest synthetic iron oxide pigment plant, production capac…

Chromaflo Technologies Corp., have announced the inauguration of Chromaflo India’s new manufacturing facility. As the largest independent global supplier of advanced colorants and chemical dispersions for the paint, coatings and thermoset plast…

Heubach is constructing a production facility in the U.S. for anticorrosive pigments which will expand the global production capacity by 4000 tons. This step substantially strengthens Heubach's position not only in North America but globally…

Organic Dyes & Pigments LLC (ORCO) has acquired the assets of Rhode Island-based Eastern Color & Chemical Company. Established in 1928, Eastern has a long and proud history of supplying organic pigment dispersions and specialty chemicals to t…

Nexeo Solutions and Silberline Manufacturing have expanded their partnership with key accounts nationally in the coatings, printing ink and plastic markets for special effect and performance aluminum pigments.
Nexeo Solutions will also be representi…

Ferro and Simon & Werner GmbH have extended the distribution partnership in Germany for pigments used in Coatings, Construction, Plastics, Cosmetics and other industrial markets.
In addition to the currently supplied heat stable and weather re…

UK based Union Colours has announced that it has become members of both CEFIC and Eurocolour.
Caroline Simpson, Regulatory Manager at Union Colours said CEFIC is the European Chemical Industry Council, representing 29000 European compani…

Ferro Corporation entered into an agreement to acquire Cappelle Pigments NV and acquired certain assets of Delta Performance Products for aggregate consideration of approximately $60 million.
Sales for the two businesses in 2016 are estimated to b…

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a science and technology company, has announced for 2017 its first effect color of the year. It is blue-glow purple. The violet shade continues the trend towards shades of reddish blue and bluish red. Wi…

Heubach is expanding its capacity to produce Complex Inorganic Color Pigments (CICPs), marketed under the brand name HEUCODUR, at its German site. Following the installation and successful establishment of the first production line of a newly develop…